Abedini obtained US citizenship in 2005 after converting to Christ and coming to the US. Before that, he had been the leader of a group of house churches in Iran. He has continued to return to Iran to visit his parents and to work on the building of an orphanage, even though this has been risky.

The authorities in Tehran had been keeping him under surveillance, and four months ago indicted him and put him in the Evin Prison. There is the possibility of a death sentence for apostasy and proselytizing. His wife said that he has undergone harassment and torture while in prison.